Man convicted of 2007 murder of Stepha Henry in South Florida – NBC 6 South Florida

Nearly two decades after a New York woman disappeared in South Florida, the man charged with her murder was found guilty in a Broward County courtroom.

A Broward County jury found Kendrick Williams guilty of the murder of Stepha Henry nearly two decades ago in South Florida. Williams was charged with her murder in 2007 and denied killing the 22-year-old. But prosecutors say DNA blood evidence found in the car he originally bought in Brooklyn and later denied ever owning or driving played a major role in the prosecution case.

When the verdict was announced, Henry's mother, father and sister were in court. They spoke to NBC6 Friday afternoon.

“It's literally a weight that falls off your shoulders once you hear the guilty verdict,” Shola Henry said. “It’s just a relief and we can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she got the justice that she deserved.”

The tragic series of events that led to Henry's disappearance and death began over Memorial Day weekend 2007. The aspiring lawyer from Brooklyn was in Miami celebrating her younger sister's birthday.

According to investigators, Henry and Williams went to a nightclub in Sunrise and she was never seen again after that night.

Where she was killed is still a mystery. Williams told police he left the club alone, but investigators found evidence that they drove away from the club together.

“We believe he got exactly what he deserved,” Henry said. “We knew it had to be him because there is no one in the world who could hate such a beautiful and vibrant girl.”

Shola Henry describes her older sister as lively, full of fun, intelligent and powerful. Henry was a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She would have turned 40 during the trial.

Years later, the family says they are at peace.

“For 17 years we didn't know, to this day we don't know what happened to her, but at least we know who did it is behind bars,” Henry said. “Just imagining what kind of lawyer she would have been makes us believe that not our family, but America has lost a leader, someone who was a force to be reckoned with in the justice system.”

“I hope that this verdict has finally given the family of Stepha Henry a sense of justice after a long and painful wait,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “I know that nothing, not even this verdict, can ever replace the senseless loss of a young daughter whose life held so much promise

Williams will be sentenced on November 8th.